Zechariah 4:7 – "Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, Grace to it!'"
We are continuing to look at the fifth vision of Zechariah. As you recall from last week's post, Zechariah saw a variation of the lamp stand which stood in the temple. It was different from the normal lamp stand in the way the lamps were supplied with oil.
The vision also showed two olive trees, one on each side of the lamp stand. They provided a continuous flow of oil to a large bowel on the top of the lamp, which in turn fed each of the seven lamps through seven pipes. The significance of this is that the lamp stand had a constant source of power which never ran dry.
Spiritually speaking, the lamp stand represents the work of Holy Spirit on earth. He illuminates the hearts and minds of people so they can recognize sin and be drawn to forgiveness through the blood of Christ.
He also empowers the church to carry out her mission of spreading the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world.
Obviously, God has called you to share the love of Christ and the message of salvation with those you meet. But very few of us are called to be full-time ministers; most of us are called to another vocation, just like the men of Zechariah's day.
What has God called you to do? Become a physician, a nurse, or a paramedic? Has he called you to a career in law or finance? Has he placed you in the position to be a carpenter (like himself), a welder, a baker, a librarian, a dog groomer, or a business owner? Has he given you great artistic talent?
Whatever God has called you to do, do it with all your might and let the light of the gospel shine through it. And remember, you can access all the power and resources you need through Holy Spirit. The Spirit's role in the life of each individual believer as well as the church collectively, cannot be overstated.
Question: Oil is one of the symbols for Holy Spirit (Isaiah 61:1, Acts 10:38, etc). In the Old Testament, three specific groups of people were always anointed with oil to prepare them for service. Do you know who they were?
Answer: Prophets, priests, and kings.
When prophets, priests and kings were anointed with oil, Holy Spirit came upon them providing the power and wisdom they needed to be successful in their jobs:
1 Samuel 16:13 -Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
As we know, only one person has ever embodied the role of all three ministries (prophet, priest, king) in their life and that was Jesus. And even he was anointed by Holy Spirit before beginning his ministry:
Luke 4:1-2 -And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil.
Jesus publicly confirmed his anointing as he preached in one of the Jewish synagogues:
Luke 4:18-19 -The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
If Jesus himself needed the anointing of Holy Spirit in his life to fulfill the mission given to him by Father God, how much more do we?
Conclusion: The constant flow of oil in the lamp stand of Zechariah's vision is symbolic. It shows us that the ministry of God's people does not depend upon our own strength, wisdom, or resources; God has given us unlimited amounts of everything we need to accomplish our mission through the work of Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:3).
Therefore, it becomes clear that the work of God on earth is accomplished through a partnership between men/women and Holy Spirit.
This was clearly the case for the Jewish governor Zerubbabel, who was given the following word of comfort from God through Zechariah:
Who are you, O great mountain–In this vision, the mountain represents Satan along with all his followers and all their evil schemes. Just as a mountain rises above the surrounding land, Satan tries to exalt himself over God and all that God has created (man and the earth). He attempts to create obstacles/strong holds and opposition to the work of the Lord.
During the time of Zechariah, Satan was working full-time through Sanballat and his companions who actively opposed the rebuilding of the temple. They fought through legal means, use of force, threats and even compromise.
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain - However, all the efforts of Satan and his servants are in vain, for the Spirit of the Lord works through the people of God to assure victory. The obstacles or 'mountains' they have put up against the work of the Lord will be made as flat and smooth as a plain:
Isaiah 40:4-5 - Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.
The same concept is confirmed in the New Testament. The apostle Paul tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down everything that exalts itself against God (II Corinthians 10:4-5). In other words, when we fight in the spiritual realm through prayer, fasting, and declarations of the word, Holy Spirit will flatten the plans of the enemy like a pancake!
And he shall bring forward the top stone– This statement refers to the partially finished temple. Work on the structure ceased after the foundation was laid; humanly speaking completion of the building was by no means certain. The Jews were out of hope, out of resources and out of commission due to legal wrangling.
But God gave a sure word to Zechariah that the temple most certainly would be finished. This was not just some far off promise; it would be done in their generation through Zerubbabel, who had started the project.
Amid shouts of grace, grace to it! – The work would be covered with 'grace upon grace'. In other words, God's favor rested upon this project. The building of the temple was not an end, but the beginning of the new work that God was going to complete through his people. This work would culminate when Jesus the Messiah came through the Jewish line to fulfill the Old Testament rites of the temple.(Little did the men of Zechariah's day know, but one day the Messiah would preach in the very temple they were building!)
Satan's plans were thwarted back in the day of Zechariah, but he didn't give up.
Think back to the time after the resurrection of Christ. The book of Acts is very clear that Satan worked through the religious leaders of that day to oppose the gospel message. They raised mountains of opposition against the apostles and other believers through legal means, use of force, threats and even attempts at compromise. But once again, Satan was defeated. The eternal, unseen, spiritual church of God was laid upon the foundation of the cross. Hallelujah!
Now, in the age of grace, we continue to build the church of God. We can expect Satan to continue opposing us, just as he always has. But we can rest assured that God is just as capable of turning mountains into plains today as he was in Zechariah's generation. No matter how violently the wicked rage against Christians and our message, their schemes will be frustrated when God suddenly reduces them to nothing.
And one day, in the fullness of time, Jesus himself will return to earth and gather us into his eternal kingdom! As the old hymn says, 'What a glorious day that will be'!
Zechariah 4:8-9 – And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you."
Here we find yet another promise that God's plans were coming to fruition. Everyone knew/acknowledged that the foundations of the temple had been laid under the leadership of Zerubbabel, but many believed the building would never be finished, due to the opposition by Satan. As despair and hopelessness began to overtake the Jews, God stepped in and declared (twice) that the temple would be finished, and it would be done by none other than Zerubbabel himself.
Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you - There are two kinds of knowledge. The first kind is knowledge by faith. This occurs when we read the promises of God and believe them, even though we haven't yet seen their fulfillment.
For instance, scripture tells us that one day the trumpet of God will sound, the dead in Christ shall rise, and all living Christians will join Jesus in the air. Together, he will take us to his Father's house. We refer to this event as the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4).
Your knowledge of the rapture is faith-based. Even though it hasn't happened yet, you believe in it because you read about it in the bible, and you know God never breaks a promise.
The second kind of knowledge is knowledge by experience. This kind of knowledge is apparent to all because God gives an immediate and public fulfillment of the promise. It is a sure proof that God has not spoken in vain; he has kept his word.
In the present case, God is saying that the people of Zechariah's day will know that God has spoken the promise of a completed temple, because they will live to see that promise fulfilled.
Zechariah 4:10 – "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth."
Despised the day of small things – This is a specific reference to the second temple. It would soon be completed, just as God declared. And when it was, it was a huge disappointment to a lot of people.
As we might expect, the enemies of Israel despised the temple, because it represented their failure. Despite all of their schemes, God empowered the Jews with his Spirit and they completed the structure.
But did you know that many of the Jews also despised the building?
Ezra 3:12 -But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, who were old men, who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice;
Haggai 2:3 -Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
Many of the Jews who returned to Israel were deeply distressed and very disappointed in the second temple. This group mostly consisted of older men who had lived long enough to remember the glory and opulence of Solomon's temple. They despised the new structure because it was relatively small, plain, and simple. (They fell into the trap of comparing it to the work of another. Let the reader beware.)
But God himself was pleased with this second temple and he was very adamant that the Jews should not look upon it with disappointment. The issue was one of perspective - the Jews thought they were looking at the end result of their efforts, but God considered the second temple a starting point.
Remember, it was God's plan for the Jews to be a witness of his love that would draw all nations to himself (Genesis 26:4). That would only be accomplished after the sacrifice of Christ, when Jews and Gentiles alike became members of the family of God through the gift of salvation.
Little did the Jews of Zechariah's day know, the second temple (which disappointed them), was the very structure where God himself, in the flesh, would one day stand and deliver the gospel message! That message has exploded throughout the world ever since; God's kingdom is still expanding even today!
Haggai 2:9 -The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, says the LORD of hosts.
The Jews thought the temple was the place of fellowship between them and God (which it was, during their day). However, they could not even begin to imagine how big God's ultimate plan was. Their wildest dreams fell far, far short of the reality God brought to pass – an open invitation for every man, woman and child (Jew or Gentile) to enter the kingdom of heaven and dwell forever in the presence of God!
That was the true significance of the second temple, which they despised!
Never make the mistake of despising any ministry that God has instituted (including your own).
At best, you can only perceive that ministry's influence at a particular moment in time (which is what the Jews of Zachariah's day were doing). You can't see what God will ultimately bring about with that small beginning. You cannot see, understand, or predict how far it will spread, how many people it will touch, or how far it will extend into the future after you are gone.
Consider these examples: God raised Joseph from prison, David from the sheepfold, Daniel from slavery and Gideon from the winepress (just to name a few). They started with humble beginnings, but their lives/ministries still touch people today.
And that's not all. God converted the world by using fishermen, tax collectors and tent makers! So don't put God in a box. Don't presume to judge or decide what God can or cannot do with the work he has given YOU to do, or the testimony you share with the world.
Here are a couple of other tips for ministry:
- Don't compare your ministry to that of others. God has called you to fill in unique role in the world, so your ministry will be unique as well.
- Don't delay or be slothful in your spiritual work. Instead, diligently and joyfully be about the Father's business. You have been anointed with the Spirit, so go in his power and complete the project. Let God worry about what he is going to accomplish with it!
These seven are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth – We have already discussed the significance of this phrase, because it appeared in Zechariah's fourth vision (Zechariah 3:9).
To reiterate, the seven-eye description can only apply to Jesus Christ; he alone is a living being of manifold intelligence who possesses universal perception, insight and understanding. With such divine sight, he surveys and provides for the well-being of the whole church.
Besides representing divine insight/understanding, the seven eyes are also an analogy for the sevenfold Spirit of God, which rested upon Christ without measure (John 3:34).
So, the meaning here is much the same as it was in the fourth vision – God sees and knows all things; nothing is hidden from his sight.
By his Spirit, he would empower the Jews to finish the task set before them. Because of God's watchful eye, all the plans of Satan would ultimately be frustrated and stopped. In other words, God was watching over the work of the Jews and as long as they moved forward in faith and did not give up, victory was assured.
- What implications does this vision have for the church today?
- What is God calling your individual church to do for him?
- How does this vision bring hope to you in your ministry or vocation in life?
Ecclesiastes 9:10 -Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go.
Whatever your calling may be, don't consider it trifling or insignificant, because you don't know what God is going to do with it. Only he can see the end from the beginning. Whatever you do for the Lord, do it now, and do it with all your might!
Zechariah 4:11-12 – Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lamp stand?"And a second time I answered and said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?"
As the meaning of the vision is being made plain to Zechariah, there are still one or two points that are not yet clear to him, and he naturally asks follow-up questions.
In particular, he asks about the two trees (one on each side of the lamp stand) and the golden pipes through which the oil flows.
It is obvious that they are tied to the overall meaning of the vision - God was going to empower his people with his Spirit in order for them to accomplish the task he has assigned to them – but what exactly did they represent?
Zechariah 4:13-14 – He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
In response to his question, Zechariah is told that the two trees represent 'two anointed ones' who stand by the Lord. The literal translation is two 'sons of oil'.
The picture here is that of a Master or Lord seated in a place of power, who has two of his trusted, valuable servants standing at his sides, ready to perform his will.
Not surprisingly, bible commentators have given different interpretations to the two 'sons of oil'.
To begin with, the sons of oil are identified as Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest (who we saw in the last vision). They are the leaders of Israel, who have been placed in authority by God. They themselves have been anointed by God for their specific duties and clearly the anointing of Holy Spirit flowed through them to fill the lamp of Israel with the power to carry out God's work (building the temple). All scholars agree that this is one correct interpretation of the two sons of oil.
However, if we consider not just these specific individuals, but the offices they represent, we can see a bigger picture of what God is doing.
As you know, Joshua was the high priest and Zerubbabel was the civil authority of that day. Therefore, the two trees may very well symbolize spiritual and civil offices/leadership. When these leaders were dedicated to the work of God, God did great things through them. If we look back in the history of the Jews, we find this was often the case.
For example, during the time of the exodus, Moses was the civil authority and Aaron his brother was the high priest. Together, they were God's anointed leaders who led Israel out of captivity and to the gates of the Promised Land.
Another example would be when Daniel (as civil ruler) was paired with Ezekiel (as priest) during the time of the Babylonian captivity. Together, they guided Israel through the time of hardship during the captivity.
In other interpretations, Peter and Paul are also identified as fitting into the mold of the two trees, because they were God's chosen vessels to speak to both Jews and Gentiles. At the same time, some scholars believe the two trees are Jews and Christians who together make up the church.
Still others believe the two trees represent the Law and the Gospel. Through the Law and the Gospel, apostles, prophets, and teachers of every age illuminate the hearts and minds of God's followers. Their work is done through the power of Holy Spirit and the end result of their work is that the anointing of God flows to the entire church (the lamp stand) which then shines the light of the gospel to sinners who dwell in spiritual darkness.
Another interpretation says that both trees ultimately refer to Christ; they represent his two offices of King and Priest. Through him the anointing of Holy Spirit flows to the church equipping and empowering her to fulfill the role God has designed for her.
Regardless of which interpretation you believe is correct, one thing is sure:
God has equipped the church for her mission through the power and anointing of Holy Spirit. When we partner with the Spirit, nothing is impossible!
Let me offer you some encouragement:
As we consider the visions, we cannot help but notice that in every single case, Zechariah lacks understanding of what he has seen.� However, as he humbly asks for wisdom and understanding, it is given to him.
So, as you read your bible, I encourage you to be inquisitive. Think about the situations presented. Consider the things that are said and even the things that are NOT said. If you have a question that needs an answer, seek the help of Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of truth, and he will guide you to the answer you seek.
John 16:13 -But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
Let me offer you some relief:
Have you been trying to steward your ministry in your own strength? If so, you are probably experiencing frustration, difficulty and lack. Results are minimal (if they exist at all).
But there is help for your situation! As we saw in today's post, God never intended for you to fulfill the calling on your life without help. In fact, it would be impossible to do so!
If you want to find some relief, then enter your prayer closet and repent for trying to get along without the help of Holy Spirit. Then ask him to anoint and empower you for your ministry.
Let me offer you some strength:
Victory for the believer ultimately lies in a partnership between God and man.
Zerubbabel was tasked with rebuilding the temple. This was an enormous undertaking, and it had a lot of opposition. In fact, the difficulties rose up before Zerubbabel like an unending mountain range!
But great as these mountains of difficulty were, God assured Zerubbabel that he possessed resources that were more than equal to the task. Though Zerubbabel's efforts seemed feeble, success was inevitable when the work was anointed with the power of Holy Spirit.
The same can be true of both individual believers and the church of Jesus Christ. The church has an immense task before her – to spread the gospel throughout the world and to disciple all nations.
Though our efforts seem almost futile at times, if we follow the direction of Holy Spirit, our victory is assured. Amen!